DELIVER:
Join us in delivering these petitions on Wednesday. We will meet on the south steps of the Capitol Building at 200 E. Colfax Ave., Denver, COCALL:
To avoid busy signals use: 1-866-862-3237
It will allow you to leave messages if there is a busy signal and enable us to track how many calls we have generated.
This is a service provided by Food & Water Watch.

Please Join Us At The Following Events To Stand Up For Longmont and Local Communities Throughout Colorado

Recently, the city of Longmont passed some commonsense regulations to protect its citizens from rapidly expanding natural gas fracking in Colorado.

Fracking is a threat to our communities and our climate—but Governor Hickenlooper is taking the unprecedented step of suing the city of Longmont, claiming that local governments shouldn’t be allowed to regulate or ban the dangerous practice.

Deliver Declaration Against Fracking and Invitation to Governor Hickenlooper

Activists will deliver the “Declaration of Solidarity Against Fracking” signed by more than 6,000 Coloradans, along with an invitation for the Governor to join the “Rally ‘Round Longmont” on Sept 22. We’re inviting Hickenlooper to explain why he is suing the citizens of Longmont and allowing the gas industry to frack next to their homes, schools.

PLEASE JOIN US at 10:45 am on the south side of the State Capitol Building in Denver! We need a HUGE CROWD to help drive home our message to the governor!

Rally ‘Round Longmont

WHEN: Saturday, September 22, from 11:00 AM-1:00 PM

WHERE: Rogers Grove, 220 Hover Road, Longmont, CO

Hundreds of Longmont residents and concerned Coloradans will gather and speak out for local control and against fracking. We’ll have music, family activities, and solidarity. No word yet on whether Governor Hickenlooper will attend!

It’s up to us to stand up for our communities. Don’t let the Governor stand in our way.

Sign this petition and

I you can’t make it to any of the world-wide events, you can still participate in the Global Frackdown on September 22 by taking action here and joining the Global Frackdown on Twitter and Facebook. And use social media to spread the word about the frackdown you’re hosting or attending.___________________________________________________________________________________________________

ACTION ALERT!

South Platte tributaries – Denver/Front Range water source threatened by drilling/fracking. They want to drill near Spinney Reservoir, which provides Aurora’s drinking water.

South Park needs our help!

Sept 17th is the deadline to comment on BLM’s draft Environmental Assessment of its proposed Feb 2013 oil and gas lease sale.

Here’s what you can do:

Sample letter/talking points below – please add personal comments

To whom it may concern: Parcels 6484, 6485, 6486, 6487, 6488, and 6489 should be deferred from the lease sale until further analysis can be done in a forth-coming resource management plan document. The analysis will consider available science, safety concerns as well as reasonable options for leasing, or not leasing, near reservoirs and other bodies of water.

These parcels should be deferred because they are within 1/2 mile of water bodies that are tributaries to Spinney Reservoir which flows into the South Platte that provide drinking water for millions of people in the northern Front Range communities.

Oil and gas development, especially hydraulic fracturing poses the same threat to the reservoir that parcels within 1/2 mile of the reservoir proper do. If you are going to study the potential impacts of drilling within 1/2 mile of the reservoir, then it only makes sense to extend the studies to tributaries that feed the reservoir. Sincerely,

The three articles below demonstrate what responsible local oversight and representation for residents, regarding oil and gas development, looks like.

We want to know why Aurora city government, especially as a home rule city, was unwilling to fight for conditions and mitigations that would better protect Aurora’s water, resident’s health, property values, quality of life, and city assets, as these other local governments are doing.

Aurora still has the opportunity to join the suit developing, and show that it too believes in defending the full exercise of its rights and obligations to protect its assets and public health and safest.

HERE’S WHAT YOU CAN DO!

-Send E letters to the City of Aurora City Council Members and/or Arapahoe County Commissioners.

-Ask them why they choose not to defend the full legal rights and obligations of their local government, on behalf of public health and safety and in defense of their assets, in light of current news of local governments standing in defense of these rights (with relevant articles – see below – attached).

-Also point out they still have the opportunity to join in the developing legal suit of local governments (claiming local rights and obligations) and the state(claiming total preemption and full ‘occupation’ of the field of oil and gas rule-making of any kind).

This is a good opportunity for Aurora City Council and/or the Arapahoe County Commissioners to hear from you, in your own words, even just a sentence or two, encouraging them to stand tall for the Aurora and Arapahoe County!

Without many voices calling them to do what is clearly the prudent, necessary thing to do, they will not do it.

“County Plan Wouldn’t Allow Water Sale For Fracking”

Panel not likely to approve outright ban

By John Fryar, Longmont Times-Call, posted 7/18/2012

BOULDER — The Boulder County Comprehensive Plan should include a policy prohibiting the county from leasing or selling any of its water rights to companies that would use that water in drilling oil and gas wells, members of the County Planning Commission agreed on Wednesday.

Planning panel members also endorsed the idea of having Boulder County try to reach intergovernmental agreements with its cities and towns — as well as other government agencies — in which those other local jurisdictions would voluntarily refuse to sell or lease water rights that would wind up being used in hydraulic fracturing, the practice of injecting sand, water and chemicals into wells to free up oil and gas deposits.

Steamboat Springs — The Routt County Board of Commissioners on Tuesday night defied an eleventh-hour admonition from the acting director of the Colorado Oil and Gas Conservation Commission and approved an oil well permit with requirements for water-quality monitoring, which the board deemed necessary to protect 39 domestic water wells a mile away from the well in unincorporated Milner.

“We’ve been told we have an oil and gas commission that is putting stringent requirements on oil and gas operations. It simply is not true,” Commissioner Nancy Stahoviak said. “Protecting our water quality is a local concern. The (Oil and Gas Commission) has not helped us protect the water (wells) of Milner, which is why we are having to do it.”

Steamboat Springs — The Routt County Board of Commissioners could join the city of Longmont in its defense of a lawsuit filed this week by the Colorado Attorney General’s Office on behalf of the Colorado Oil and Gas Conservation Commission regarding Longmont’s efforts to regulate energy exploration.

“Absolutely,” Board of Commissioners Chairman Doug Monger said Tuesday. “There will be a lot of discussion, and we’ll be having some discussion as the suit progresses further whether we or (Colorado Counties Inc.) will want to participate.”

Demand Stronger Aurora Oil and Gas Rules for Healthy Children

Don’t Frack Our Kids’ Health!

Come join us in a show of resident solidarity on June 11, asking Aurora City Council to revise the proposed oil and gas rules, to make them as strong as Elbert County’s rules

MONDAY, JUNE 11, 2012, at 7:15 PM

AURORA MUNICIPAL CENTER, COUNCIL CHAMBERS

15151 East Alameda Parkway, Aurora Co 80012

Toxic emissions from oil and gas development that is coming into Aurora will pose a significant risk to the health of Aurora children, especially children who live, go to school, or play near drill sites. Children are especially vulnerable to health risks associated with toxic emissions (as are pregnant women, the elderly, and the already health-impaired), as pointed out by numerous medical societies and medical organizations.

Aurora’s City Council has come up with a set of draft rules for Oil and Gas Development in Aurora and could vote them in at the June 11 meeting. The proposed rules are very weak and do not exercise the full rights of a home rule city

Here in Colorado, Elbert County, has strong proposed rules, which prohibit the release of highly toxic chemicals associated with oil and gas drilling into the air and into the ground (where they can pose a risk to water supplies). It is important to attend and advise the city council to pause and take time to hear from legal counsel, such as noted attorney Barbara Green, to find options that support public health.

Sign up to speak on behalf of Aurora’s kids (enter requested information and “not on agenda” on the sign in slip, take it to the front of Chambers to the clerk. You will have 3 minutes to address Council. Let them know that you want them to exercise their FULL powers of home rule and re-write the rules to clearly:

- Prohibit emission into the air of toxic chemicals or oil or gas, including methane gas and deadly hydrogen sulfide gas

- Prohibit injection underground of toxic chemicals

- Prohibit any industrial process that poses risk of permanent contamination of area surface or ground water,

ALL TO PREVENT SIGNIFICANT HARM TO PUBLIC HEALTH AND SAFETY, INCLUDING THREATS TO OUR CLEAN AIR, WATER AQUIFERS, WATER WELLS, WATER RESERVOIR, AND SURFACE WATER.

Many, many people must attend for city council to take notice! Just be there to be counted! It’s Up To You!

Please touch base with one of the What the Frack?! Arapahoe volunteers prior to speaking to City Council

-Require that rules include outcomes and performance that protect public health and safety and Aurora water, by :

- Prohibiting toxic air emissions,

- Prohibiting irredeemable destruction of Aurora water by any any industry,

- Require appropriate toxic protocols for the disposal of chemicals known to be toxic, by any industry

2. Come and meet Council Members at the Aurora Municipal Bldg, 8-8:30 am, as they arrive for their Spring Workshop on Saturday, April 21.

You may bring signs and stand around the entrance areas (both sides of bldg) as long as you do not block free passage into the entrances, and/or you may choose to engage them as they come in to their meeting in the Aurora Room (handing them a written statement or asking them to vote no on the proposal as it is currently written).

Aurora Municipal Center: 15151 E. Alameda Parkway, Aurora Colorado

Additional info:

If Aurora Council votes to accept the proposal as written on April 21, they can vote these rules into effect at their next public meeting on May 7th.

A ‘yes’ vote this Saturday, to accept the current proposal, removes opportunity for needed consideration of overlooked impact and health and cost issues, and removes the opportunity for meaningful public input, meaningful expert legal input, meaningful expert public health and safety input. Decision-making in the absence of critically relevant information is an abrogation of the responsibility vested in our elected officials, a failure of representative government.

Find out what What the Frack?! Arapahoe presented to council April 16 (at beginning, after presentation to arborists), including, reading out of a list of questions submitted by What the Frack?! Arapahoe and also by several neighborhoods, asking Council to respond in writing, answering, who will be legally and financially responsible for performing certain necessary tasks, pay damages, etc. related to oil and gas drilling in Aurora.http://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL37274C79CDEB9EDF

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Take Action in Aurora: Share Your Concerns About Fracking With The Community, PTA, Schools

posted April 15, 2012

On April 3, 2012, ten of us went to the Aurora Public School Board Meeting regarding the issue of shalebed oil and gas extraction and the public health, specifically the health of children.

Five of us made three minute presentations, based on the articles below and other information available regarding the special vulnerability of children to health impacts from exposure to toxic emissions.

The following written request was made to the School Board by our concerned citizens group, What the Frack?! Arapahoe:

4/3/2012

To the honorable members of the Aurora School Board:

Based on the evidence of special vulnerability of children to health impacts from current practices in extracting oil and gas from shale beds, we are asking the APS Board to file a statement of concern with the Aurora City Council and the Aurora Oil and Gas LDG (primary city contact re oil and gas leases) and the State Land Board (re Former Lowry Bombing Range lease to Conoco Phillips for 120 wells).

We are asking you to request that any oil and gas drilling using fracking near Aurora schools use closed loop systems (reduce toxic emissions 40%), not allow flaring or condensate tank emissions or open pits (reduce toxic air emissions another 60%), and include continuous air monitoring and alarms for hydrogen sulfide gas release, radioactive materials, and toxic chemicals emissions exceeding federal safety standards, to protect Aurora children.

Attached are some reference articles for your consideration.

We appreciate your consideration of our request and look forward to hearing back from you on this important issue.

In order for this request to have effective impact, we need the mothers and fathers and grandparents of Aurora to:

Please share and post the articles below in your community!

Make sure you give it to the principal and parents (submit at PTA meetings!) of your local schools!

Please consider writing a short cover letter or note, indicating your concern, given that fracking is expected to take place near several Aurora schools in the near future- in Cross Creek, Murphy Creek and other communities.

Your personal cover letter will make a big difference in getting the attention of the school administrators, teachers, and parents!)

Note the comments of Erie, Colorado moms about the health risks posed to their children and on the current suspected fracking related health problems of their children (dizziness, asthma, chronic sinusitis, gastrointestinal problems). Note also the comments of the Colorado School of Public Health researcher._________________________________________________________

Story about the results of a 3 year study done by Colorado School of Public Health (CSPH), of toxic air emissions near Battlement Mesa, Colorado (where a Health Assessment was also performed, several years ago.Key findings: -People living within a half-mile of oil-and-gas well fracking operations were exposed to air pollutants five times above the federal hazard standards!-The state requires a 150-foot setback in rural areas and a 350-foot setback in developed areas. “This study raises questions about those setback standards,”-The chemicals can have neurological or respiratory effects that include eye irritation, headaches, sore throat and difficulty breathing, the study said-The study did not look at the full range of chemicals released from fracking operations, which also include diesel fumes and methane-“The greatest health impact corresponds to the relatively short-term, but high emission, well completion period,” the study said.-“It is getting to the point that the industry has to be able to demonstrate their facilities aren’t going to impact public health.”_______________________________________________________

NOAA (National Oceanic and Atmospheric Admin.) released results of a study a few weeks ago stating that their air sampling from Erie, Colorado found butane, ethane and propane at levels higher than Houston and Los Angeles and well above federal safety standards for those toxins! That data led the town council of Erie to institute a unanimous and immediate moratorium on new drilling applications (after previously voting down a moratorium).______________________________________________________

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Protest the Governor’s Oil & Gas Task Force

-There are no grassroots representatives on the Task Force, while there are oil & gas industry reps.

-There are no State Health Department officials, toxicologists, non-industry experts on water, air, etc. on the Task Force, while there are State oil & gas reps.

-There are no organic farmers, ranchers or sportsmen on the Task Force.

-The Task Force does not include any scientific input to the process regarding: important new toxicology, endocrinology, epigenetic, cardiopulmonary findings, climate science, hydrologic geology, earthquake geology, or even statistical economic findings about long-term costs.

Colorado policies should be based on whether escalation of fracking, and creating uniform rules for all locations, is wise, or terribly risky to our health, our water, our quality of life, and our geology. The Task Force should be informed by realistic risk assessment!

PARKING: Street parking all around, mostly meter with credit card or quarters. We will have signs, or you certainly may bring your own!

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BLM NEEDS YOUR COMMENTS ON NORTH FORK VALLEY ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT

On March 7th, the BLM released the Environmental Assessment on the 30,000 acre lease proposal for the North Fork Valley. It is disappointing that the agency largely ignored the input provided by nearly 3000 citizens and did not propose to withdraw all of the parcels. It is particularly astonishing since the Environmental Assessment states that leasing and drilling could result in significant economic costs to the North Fork Valley. But it is no surprise that the agency is if it is “business as usual.”

This current 30-day public comment period is your second opportunity for input. It’s your opportunity to let the BLM know that it can not trade our clean water, clean air, the health of our community and our farming and ranching for fracking. Your voice is critical to applying the pressure to remove all 22 lease parcels from the sale. Please send your comments to the BLM today.

Deadline for comments is April 6th, 2012

Please tell the BLM:

You support the NO ACTION-NO LEASING ALTERNATIVE that will result in the withdrawal of all 22 parcels from the lease sale.

The 1989 Resource Management Plan (RMP) did not analyze the impacts of horizontal hydraulic fracturing because this technology did not exist when the RMP was written. As a result, the BLM must analyze the impacts of horizontal fracking in this EA.

BLM cannot put off analyzing the impacts of oil and gas development to some future date. All impacts must be analyzed before selling the right to develop the oil and gas in these parcels.

BLM must prepare a more detailed Environmental Impact Statement.

Negative impacts to prime farmlands in the North Fork Valley must be fully analyzed prior to leasing.

The agency must include an analysis of the socio-economic impacts to the North Fork Valley. Provide BLM with your personal story about how your livelihood depends upon maintaining the health of our community.

Mail or email your written comments today! Send a copy of your comments to the BLM & the additional contacts listed.

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Tell Gov. Hickenlooper To Withdraw This Misleading Oil And Gas Ad!!!

A misleading radio ad is floating around the state that claims Colorado has “not had one instance of groundwater contamination associated with drilling and hydraulic fracturing.” The truth is, as the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment and a Denver Post investigation have proven, groundwater contamination remains a major problem with oil and gas production in our state.

It’s especially troubling that this radio ad was recorded by Colorado Gov. John Hickenlooper. Ask Hickenlooper to take the ad down now.

The Coalition for a Clean Colorado, a newly formed alliance of grassroots citizen groups working to protect their communities from destructive oil and gas drilling and fracking, has a petition and an open letter to Governor Hickenlooper.

The Coalition for a Clean Colorado is a newly formed alliance of grassroots citizen groups working to protect their communities from destructive oil and gas drilling and fracking. We are united in our belief, that clean air and water, clean government and an economy powered by local, clean energy are essential for healthy communities and a livable future. We depend on and expect our elected officials to represent and protect our interests.

Your recent advertisements on behalf of the Colorado Oil and Gas Association (COGA), an industry that stands to reap billions from the accelerated extraction of dirty and life threatening fossil energy, is in direct conflict with your sworn duty to prevent adverse environmental and human health impacts to the People of Colorado, and a shocking breach of public trust.

The Colorado Oil and Gas Conservation Commission’s own database confirms over 1,000 oil and gas spills have impacted groundwater since 2009. These releases and other chemical emissions, legalized through multiple industry exemptions, have long impacted the health, safety and welfare of our communities. It’s time these impacts be acknowledged and mitigated with the level of diligence the citizens of Colorado deserve.

County land use regulations, ordinances and charter amendments empowered by the Colorado Constitution and upheld by the courts, are the only means left for people to protect their communities from the abuses of an overly powerful industry. Two weeks ago, thousands of citizens and the legislature spoke firmly against total state preemption as embodied in HB 12-088 and in favor of local regulatory authority over oil and gas activities.

Your executive order on fracking goes against the will of the people and undermines our democratic process. We, the people of Colorado who will be directly affected by its decisions, are in no way represented by the Task Force; therefore, we call on you to rescind the executive order.

Rally at the Aurora Municipal Building

Join Our Rescheduled Rally At:

Saturday, Feb. 25, 9:15 – 10:00 am

Let our city council know that they need to protect the public, and recognize the true costs of fracking to our community, before allowing it to occur in our city!!

They will be having an oil and gas workshop to discuss drilling operations and to discuss whether to impose a moratorium on fracking, and they need to hear from as many Aurora residents opposed to fracking as possible. Will you tell the Aurora City Council to Ban Fracking Now? The public can attend the workshop, but can not speak. However your signs and presence speaks volumes! The workshop meeting begins at 10:00 am in the City Council Chambers.

You can also call the main Council phone and leave a message for Council and the Mayor: 303-739-7015 and Email all Council Members: citycouncil@auroragov.org

City ordinances don’t protect Aurorans from the oil and gas industry’s negative impacts, such as

highly toxic emissions

risk of groundwater contamination from underground storage of toxic water

degraded quality of life due to 24/7 heavy tanker truck traffic

declining property values

the demonstrated high risk of spills/ accidents/fire/explosion/blowout/ and leakage that threaten public safety

Aurora needs a public accounting of the many steep costs of oil and gas development, and not just consider possible revenues! Aurora has the power to write ordinances that protect the city and its residents, and must be encouraged to step up to that responsibility! We need a 6 month moratorium for the city to get this urgent job done!

Here are some possible slogans for your signs:

No fracking our home values!

No fracking our quality of life!

No fracking our children’s health!

No fracking our water!

No fracking way!

Aurora: Don’t frack it up!

Check the zoning: my HOA is not in a heavy industrial zone!

6 month time-out to figure it out !

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WE MUST ENSURE THAT HOUSE BILL 1277 SUCCEEDS! We Urge Everyone To Take The Following 4 Very Important Actions! Deadline: Monday, Feb. 20, 2011, 1:30 pm.

1) Sign the petition to the House Committee on Local Government (Goal: 1,500 signatures, we exceeded 1,000 on the last one!):

3) If you’re in the Denver area, please make every effort possible to COME TO THE CAPITOL and attend the hearing at 1:30 pm on Monday (details below)

4) Share, tweet, forward and help spread the word far and wide!

Information on House Bill 12-1277

House Bill 1277 gives local governments more control. Let’s support this bill, which gives local county governments the power to regulate oil and gas activities. The provision to allow a ban was removed, and we need to ask that it be put back in. HB12-1277 expressly reconfirms that local land use regulation of the impacts of oil and gas operations, including fracking, is an important state interest, and that requirements imposed by the COGCC are in addition to, NOT instead of, local land use permit requirements. Oil and gas operations have to go through city or county permitting processes in which local governments can impose conditions or even reject a permit for fracking wells that do not satisfy local permit requirements and local zoning.

Call and Email the Representatives on the Local Government Committee Tips on calling:

The bill is up on Monday, 1:30, 2/20/12, so calls would need to happen on Monday morning or over the weekend. Callers should focus on the Reps living in their own areas, and should self-identify on the message.

If the caller is a Republican calling a Republican Representative, the caller should self-identify as such. The Republican Reps. will be more inclined to listen. Likewise when calling Democratic Representatives.

Callers can touch on any aspect of the bill, but the role of local government in protecting communities is definitely an important aspect.

A Sample Script

“Hi Rep. Gardner, my name is Josephine Smith and I’m a Colorado Springs voter. Please support House Bill 1277 in the Local Government committee on Monday afternoon. This bill will make sure local governments have a voice in matters that affect their communities and residents.”

Callers are encouraged to modify and personalize the script as they see fit, especially to add any relevant information such as personal experience with fracking.

Other talking points to select from:

-COGCC rules are wholly inadequate to protect public health and safety (examples) against the new shale extraction technique of fracking (which involves much larger environmental and health and safety impacts and constitutes heavy industry).

-COGCC rules do not clearly allow local governments to determine the quality of life, determine zoning (heavy industrial vs. residential), protect city/county assets and the assets of individual residents and communities.

-COGCC and State Attorney General are joining the oil and gas industry in strong-arming communities all over CO with threats of litigation if they dare to produce protective rules one iota more protective than COGCC rules.

-COGCC is a captured agency, that appears to be committed to promotion of O&G interests without adequately regulating for health and safety, without requiring industry to honor the wishes and needs of communities all over Colorado, and not accounting for the costs associated with this industry’s negative impacts – costs that are borne by citizens and municipal governments.

-The State’s interests in oil and gas extraction has not been adequately represented by the COGCC regulations, which fail to recognize other significant state interests, such as reducing costs to the state associated with inadequately mitigated impacts to Colorado communities, protecting public health and safety, assuring appropriate representation of municipal and citizen rights.

-WE THE PEOPLE need this bill’s additional clarification of right to act in our self interest, right to defend our property and assets, right to defend our inalienable rights.

- We need this bill, in order to protect the assets of CO as a whole, those of our communities, and our individual property values and quality of life.

Below are the 11 Representatives on the Local Government Committee that might support HB12-1277 if they receive a persuasive number of phone calls from folks that live in their area. There are no Huerfano County reps on the committee, but if you know people in Mesa, Arapahoe, Adams, Jefferson, El Paso, Fremont, Denver, or Pueblo counties, please help us locate their constituents and ask them to call their Representatives.

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ConocoPhillips has proposed to drill for oil and gas across 40 square miles east of Aurora on the old Lowry bombing range. State staffers worked for a year “developing rigorous stewardship criteria,” including requirements for closed-loop drilling and other protections, “which in many cases exceed” COGCC requirements, Land Board director Bill Ryan said.

The deal would pay the state $137 million and guarantee a 20 percent share of revenues if oil and gas are produced. The standard rate for some 2,500 state- lands mineral leases is 16 percent. “We’re delighted with Conoco as a potential partner,” Ryan said.

But the board delayed a decision after it learned another state agency is suing Conoco in a dispute over past cleanups of contamination at 354 sites of leaking underground gas tanks.

Colorado’s Oil and Public Safety Division, part of the state labor department, seeks $152 million because Conoco allegedly told state officials it was not reimbursed by insurers when, in fact, insurers paid Conoco $286 million to cover cleanups, the lawsuit says.

Colorado Attorney General John Suthers is pressing the case in Denver District Court. Conoco officials “were taking money from their insurance companies” while also receiving $70 million from the state to cover cleanup costs — “double-billing, essentially,” attorney general spokesman Mike Saccone said. “We just want our money back. We want the $152 million — money they billed the state for, plus interest.”

Demand That The State Land Board Fulfill Their Mandate Of Wise Long-Term Land Stewardship For Colorado Children, By:

Not drilling until all unexploded ordnance has been removed.

Using closed-loop systems, non-toxic fluids, and recycled frack water on all their land (no sacrifice zones).

Pre-testing all aquifers and groundwater within 2 miles of drilling radius before and during drilling (for methane, frack chemicals, radioactive materials).

OR:

That they not allow any drilling at all on the FLBR, since it represents water security for the area (4 aquifers lie beneath it, one water reservoir already exists there and 4 more are planned for this land) and fracking there poses unacceptable public safety risks.

Also ask them to post the most current Exhibit “B” Lowry Lease Stipulation, in full, on their website.

The State Land Board’s, Former Lowry Bombing Range Land, oil development project was the original impetus for forming “What the Frack?!” Arapahoe, a concerned citizens group. ( See our Aurora page) We mounted a petition campaign, with hard copy and online petitions, and call-in campaign, and have repeatedly requested that the board consider our 10 mitigating stipulations for Best Management Practices and other considerations that would reduce negative impacts and costs to Aurora and Arapahoe County residents. While the SLB did acknowledge our 10 point request for stipulations in their Matrix plan discussion, only “closed-loop systems” made it into the first version of their “Matrix” plan and only for one section of land. In January, their plan was modified to include closed-loop requirement for all sections of land in that lease agreement.

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4 Urgent and Important Actions for January 2012!!!

REAL CHANGE IS WITHIN REACH, REGARDING THE EXTENT AND TYPE OF OIL AND GAS EXTRACTION IN AURORA, ARAPAHOE COUNTY, AND ON THE STATE LAND BOARD PROPERTY AT THE FORMER LOWRY BOMBING RANGE !

We HAVE had an impact to date:

- Aurora City Council will be considering a 6 month moratorium on drillingapplication, to gather more information on impacts, and revision of city ordinances to mitigate harms!

- What the Frack?! Arapahoe, Be the Change, Food and Water Watch, and other groups presented several bill outlines to Colorado legislators, in hopes of passing state legislation that will reform the state oil and gas regulations. These outlines require: Best Management Practices across the state; clarifying local government’s right to refuse the heavy industry of fracking within city limits or in other areas designated “off-limits”, disallowing uncompensated harms to Colorado residents, etc. Hopefully these bill will get passed with the strong support of citizens groups, like ours, all over Colorado!

IN THE MEANTIME, OUR LOCAL GOVERNMENTS ARE THE ONLY LINE OF DEFENSE AGAINST THE FRACKING FREE-FOR-ALL THAT IS POISED TO TAKE PLACE ON OUR COMMUNITIES!THAT IS WHY THE 4 ACTIONS LISTED BELOW ARE SO IMPORTANT!

These 4 Actions – communicating with our elected officials – will result in success,IF AND ONLY IFeach of us carries them out and gets neighbors, family members, friends, acquaintances, and colleagues to do the same, this week and next week, by the date fields listed.

If elected officials can clearly see that there is a HUGE and RESOLUTE public outcry for change of oil and gas rules, they WILL respond positively.

WHETHER OF NOT WE ACHIEVE A SUCCESSFUL OUTCOME DEPENDS ON YOU AND ME! LET’S GET THIS DONE, FOR ALL OF US, BY ALL OF US!!!

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WHAT YOU CAN TO DO:

1.The Arapahoe County Board of Commissioners (BOCC) will vote on new Oil and Gas Rules written by the Arapahoe Planning Commission on Tuesday, January 3, 2012, 9:30 am, at the Administration Building, 5334 S. Prince St., Littleton, COMain Phone: 303-795-4630

CALL THE MAIN PHONE NUMBER ABOVE, BEFORE JAN. 3.Leave a message for the commissioners, just citing the points in the underlined statements below and leaving your name and address.

Reject The Revised Oil and Gas Rules:They do not exercise the full rights of the county to protect county assets, individual property values, quality of life, health and safety.

Instead, follow the request of the overwhelming majority of the public who spoke at the hearings:Institute a 6 month moratorium! The majority of oil and gas industry reps who spoke also called for a “Time Out”!

The Planning Commission appeared to be alarmingly uninformed, regarding full oil and gas impacts, the full legal rights of the county in setting rules, and the long-range stakes involved for the county and its residents.

The rules need to be revisited by a fully informed Planning Commission and a moratorium that will allow them time to get informed.El Paso County instituted a moratorium (as well as Colorado Springs, Commerce City, and Longmont) to allow additional time for fact gathering and rule writing. Arapahoe County should do the same!

Then copy the whole, above text, starting with “Reject the revised rules”, ending with “should do the same” (or put it in your own words, which is more effective!) and EMAIL TO EACH COUNTY COMMISSIONER:

2.The State Land Board will be voting, regarding their proposed “Matrix” of drilling lease requirements for the Former Lowry Bombing Range Land (FLBR) in the morning, January 6, 2012. Call the two phone numbers below before January 5th!

Demand That The State Land Board Fulfill Their Mandate Of Wise Long-Term Land Stewardship For Colorado Children, By:

Not drilling until all unexploded ordnance has been removed.

Using closed-loop systems, non-toxic fluids, and recycled frack water on all their land (no sacrifice zones).

Pre-testing all aquifers and groundwater within 2 miles of drilling radius before and during drilling (for methane, frack chemicals, radioactive materials).

OR:

That they not allow any drilling at all on the FLBR, since it represents water security for the area (4 aquifers lie beneath it, one water reservoir already exists there and 4 more are planned for this land) and fracking there poses unacceptable public safety risks.

IF YOU HAVE THE TIME, CONSIDER ATTENDING THEIR PUBLIC MEETING ON FRIDAY, JANUARY 6 AT 9:30 AM, and sign up to make a statement to the Board: 1127 Sherman St., Suite 300, Denver, CO 80203

3.Aurora City Council will be considering a 6 month moratorium on oil and gas applications, sometime in January. Council Members will need to hear from a HUGE number of residents in the first week of January in order to seriously consider this step!

Call the main Council phone and leave a message for Council and the Mayor: 303-739-7015 and Email all Council Members:citycouncil@auroragov.org

Make Sure You Convey How Important This Is To You!

Let Them Know That The 6-Month Moratorium Will Give Them Time To Become Fully Informed On The Significant Risks That You Are Concerned About (risks to property values, full guarantees of mortgages and title insurance, quality of life, public health, public safety, and to Aurora’s desirability as a place to live!).

And For Planning And Zoning To Become Fully Informed On The Full Legal Options Open To Aurora In Writing New Oil And Gas Ordinances – To Defend Its Zoning And Other Rights On Behalf Of Its Residents (e.g., right to refuse heavy industry in residential areas, right to regulate hazardous chemicals transportation and emissions and disposal in the city, right to require non-toxic frack fluids and closed-loop systems, etc.).

4.Attend The Aurora City Council Meeting To Speak During The Public Comment Segment On Monday, January 9, 2012 ; 7:30 pm;

Go to Council Chambers, before 7:30, and get a sign-up sheet for “Public to be Heard”. Fill it out and enter “Non-Agenda Item”, so that you will be heard during the first part of the meeting. You will have 3 minutes. Thank them for considering the 6 month moratorium and make it clear why the 6 month moratorium is important to YOU!

Even if you don’t speak, IT IS REALLY IMPORTANT TO ATTEND!!! Bring your neighbors, family, acquaintances. NUMBERS ARE WHAT WILL SPEAK LOUDEST TO THEM!!!!!!!

TOGETHER, WE CAN DO THIS!!!

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November 2011

Public written comments, regarding Arapahoe County’s proposed revised Oil & Gas ordinances, are DUE Nov. 17,but still accepting them through Nov. 19!

See the Arapahoe County website ( www.co.arapahoe.co.us ) for details, the text of the proposed amended ordinance, and the e form for comments (and/or the hard copy); Also send your comments to your County Commissioner and cc the other Commissioners!

They will still accept written comments however they don’t guarantee that they will be read by the Planning Commission prior to the Public Hearing on Nov. 29.

While some of us have submitted section by section language change requests, All of us must insist that the new ordinances are entirely inadequate in protecting:

- Public air and water quality

- Water security for the state and our County

- Public health and safety

- Emergency and medical awareness and advance organization, re chemicals used in each stage of operation

- Surface owner rights to “reasonable use” including:

The right to breathe non-poisoned air, right to sleep and function free from oil and gas industrial activities and related illness or impairment, and without interference of industrial scale noise, lights, smells, and tremors.

The right to retain property values and assurance of mortgage and home insurance guarantees and to not suffer any uncompensated losses from property value decline, threats to mortgage and/or homeowner insurance, health impacts, loss of community reputation and quality of life, and other negative impacts,as related to oil and gas extraction process in their community.

Also, while some are suggesting section by section draft improvements, others are requesting that the County consider replacing their proposed ordinance language with the proposed county ordinances written for Pitkin County. These were written to attempt to meaningfully mitigate known harms, by prudent requirements for:

Baseline and continued air and water sample testing

Consideration of placement to include rights of surface owners and the County’s recreational and other assets

Express prohibition on use of toxic chemicals in oil and gas extraction processes and express prohibition of open wastewater pits

Well considered mitigation measures to protect the environment and public health and safety from the unusual constellation of known harms posed by current oil and gas extraction techniques

AND we are asking for a moratorium or ban on oil and gas development in Arapahoe County until all significant known harms listed in our petition to Arapahoe County are cured.

Due to the special topic meetings and the holidays, this date will be the only opportunity for “public to be heard”, for people to speak directly to the commissioners before they vote on the new proposed oil & gas rules.

While they will be receiving a written compilation of public comments, on the new rules from Planning and Zoning, your personally presented comments are very meaningful to the County Commissioners!

You will have 1-2 minutes to speak.

Arapahoe County Public Hearing on the Proposed New County Rules on Oil & Gas Drilling on Nov. 29!

Public Hearing with the Arapahoe County Planning Commission:

Lima Plaza, Arapahoe Room, 6954 South Lima St., Centennial,

November 29, 6:30 pm

Very Important to Attend This. Public can be heard, limited to 3 minutes each. If you run out of time to say what you came to say, you can also submit your comments in writing at the hearing, and ask that they be entered into the public record.

If you are in support of our countywide petition, please make sure you include that information when you speak! We need a huge number of people to attend! If you are not a fan of public speaking, just say your name and that you support the petition.

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URGENT NEED TO COLLECT SIGNATURES ON THE PETITION AND TURN THEM IN TO

“What the Frack?!” Arapahoe by Nov. 27

In order to get a master count and to assemble them for presentation at the public hearing on the 29th: CALL 303-917-5160 to arrange drop off of completed petitions.

In order for our efforts to be rewarded with serious consideration of our requests, we will need a very large number of signatories. Please walk it door to door in you area, take it to work and to civic meetings to get signatures!

THIS IS OUR WINDOW OF TIME TO GET THIS DONE, ON BEHALF OF OURSELVES AND OUR CHILDREN!